Manatee County is nearing completion of its new Athletics and Aquatics Center at Premier Sports Campus North in Lakewood Ranch, a recreational complex designed to support swimming, pickleball and other aquatic and community activities.
The facility, located off Rangeland Parkway east of Interstate 75 and State Road 70, is expected to open to the public before the end of the year, although county officials have not announced an exact date.
The complex features an Olympic-sized competition pool designed to accommodate swim teams as well as water polo and underwater hockey.
Water polo is a team sport played in a swimming pool in which players swim and pass a ball while attempting to score in the opposing team’s goal. Underwater hockey, a less familiar aquatic sport, is played largely along the bottom of the pool. Players wear masks, snorkels and fins and use short sticks to move a weighted puck into the opposing team’s goal, surfacing for air throughout the game.
A second pool will be used for swim lessons and other local aquatic activities. Both pools are ADA-accessible.
County officials anticipate the aquatics facility will provide new opportunities for local swimmers while creating the potential to host larger swimming competitions, including state and national championship events. Youth swim teams are already working to schedule practice time at the facility, while college programs plan to train at the complex during winter and spring breaks.
The complex also includes 24 pickleball courts, with 14 covered. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis and is played with paddles and a perforated plastic ball on a court smaller than a tennis court. It can be played as singles or doubles.
Plans for the facility include opportunities for pickleball players ranging from beginners to experienced competitors, along with the potential to host tournaments.
Additional amenities include locker rooms, a walking path, a dedicated food truck area and a community room for meetings, birthdays and other activities.
A large video board will display scores during competitions and may also be used for community events such as movie nights by the pool.
Once completed, the new complex will add another venue for youth athletics, recreational programs, competitive sports and community activities in Manatee County.
